Three Long Years
by HarukaMizuki
Summary: Three years of separation, Three years of Longing, and Three years of Sadness. Ritsu came back from the countryside hoping that she will learn more about Mio's boyfriend, what will happen after hearing what her friend has to say?


A/N : Haru(Toshiaki) here, yes I'm back and shifted to K-ON! I mean who wouldn't like to write about Mitsu especially when the couple is absolutely cute and Ritsu is so c- *hides from Mio who's holding Elizabeth* I don't want to get hit. So, here's Three Long Years. Oh before that, please forgive any wrong grammars and (if there are) OOCs. *bows* Well then enjoy! o

Disclaimer : I do not own K-ON!

**THREE LONG YEARS**

Tainaka Ritsu, drummer of the band HTT and a childhood friend of Akiyama Mio. She knows who herself is, she knows how to make a certain raven haired girl laugh, she knows how to tease her, she knows how to say sorry when her jokes had gone too far, and she knows well her feelings towards the said girl. When did it start? That's what she doesn't know it's either during kindergarten when she abruptly approached Mio and began saying things that embarrassed the poor girl or maybe it was during Middle School or it can be during High School when Nodoka suddenly became close to her childhood friend. The brunette felt distant from her friend and she got to admit it she was pretty jealous to the point that she got sick because of worrying too much that Mio might leave her alone. _"It's your powerful drumming that I like." _The words which Mio spoke during the time when Ritsu got sick, the brunette smiled and quickly sat up yelling she was already okay but suddenly felt dizzy then she realized maybe just maybe the raven-haired girl might have feelings for her too but it's still locked in the deepest part of the girl's heart. Heck, who was she kidding there's no way that her friend is that kind of person since Mio is the type of girl who is _overly obsessed_ well maybe not overly obsessed but "loves" fairy tales to the point that she sometimes use it as reference for her songs, poems, and essays. With that it's either the bassist wants to be swept off her feet by a handsome prince or find her true love during those romantic times, the drummer doubts that her friend wants a "prince-looking" girl. She's not trying to boast or anything but some people told her that she looks like a prince when she let her bangs down.

Ritsu is on a train looking at the scenery while remembering everything. She is on her way back to where Mio is after three years of separation, three years of longing, three years of patience, and three years of sadness. Ritsu flipped her phone open and smiled at the picture of her and Mio during the Romeo and Juliet play, they were wearing costumes but instead of their own costumes Mio was wearing the Juliet costume while Ritsu was wearing the Romeo one while holding a sword and protectively wrapping her arm around the bassist's waist. Realizing she's almost at her stop, she flipped her phone closed and looked at the scenery. Finally, after those years she will be able to see her childhood friend but something is bothering her and she's definitely going to find out the truth…

Akiyama Mio looked around the station eagerly waiting for the train to arrive smiling inwardly at the sudden realization that she will finally see her childhood friend after three long years of separation, she received a letter a week ago saying that the brunette will be coming home exactly today. "_I wonder what Ritsu looks like now. I bet she changed a lot these past three years." _ She thought while remembering the day when the brunette has to move away because of many reasons that are explainable enough for the bassist to understand. Tainaka Ritsu left with a smile so she too must see her off with a smile, knowing that someday her childhood friend will return. She couldn't believe that she still needs Ritsu a person who's the complete opposite of who she is, she got to admit despite the fact that she was endlessly teased by the brunette she still wants the girl to be at her side _forever_. She couldn't just imagine what would have happened if Ritsu had not talked to her during kindergarten, she couldn't imagine how in the world she would survive the pressure of college entrance exams if the brunette was not there to cheer her on, and she definitely couldn't imagine a world without her bass which Ritsu persuaded her to buy because the energetic drummer wants to make a band. She thanked the gods that they gave her the most beautiful blessing she could ever had.

Glancing sideways, the raven haired girl saw the train approaching the platform. _"She's here."_ She quickly stood up and let her feet approach its' destination. The train stopped and the doors opened, Mio began looking for someone or something that her eyes are completely familiar with but to no avail she couldn't find a girl wearing a yellow hair band. _"Oh no did I get the date wrong?" _She asked to herself while walking around. _"No I don't think so, I know she's here." _Crowds of people began approaching the train. _"Ritsu! Where are you?"_ She got to admit it, she hates getting into a crowd because of what happened to her when she was little.

x – x – x

_Akiyama Mio, age 7, couldn't find her parents. It was the night of the festival and the fireworks will start soon but she got separated from her parents because of the crowd. "Papa, Mama!" She called out tears forming in her eyes. "Where are you?" She crouched and began to cry._

"_Are you lost?" A voice asked._

_She looked up and saw a girl wearing a yellow hair band. "Ricchan!" She exclaimed._

"_Mio-chan? What are you doing here?"_

"_Ricchan! Ricchan!" The raven haired girl threw herself to the brunette while crying hard._

"_Did you got lost or something?" The girl asked._

_Mio nodded several times as an answer. "Okay okay, calm down Mio-chan I'll take you to your parents." With those words the raven haired girl pulled away, Ritsu grinned at her and patted her head. "It's okay now, don't cry."_

x - x - x

"_Ritsu!" _Mio ran and bumping into someone in the process. "I'm sorry!" She quickly apologized.

"Eh? That's all you got to say?"

"Um." She began backing away since her instincts told her that she's in danger.

The man grabbed her wrist. "Where do you think you're going?"

x – x – x

Ritsu came out of the train carrying her luggage and heading towards the taxi stand. She didn't know that someone is going to pick her up especially when that someone already has a boyfriend and is probably studying. She glanced at her left seeing a familiar person her eyes widened and without any drop of hesitation she quickly approached that person. "Excuse me sir but she's with me." She spoke in a formal way getting the attention of the man and the girl.

"This girl?" The man asked.

The brunette nodded. "Yes, she's my cousin. I'm sorry for the trouble it's just that she was excited and couldn't control herself so she got separated from me."

The man raised his eyebrow and looked at the girl who was explaining things then his gaze went to the girl whom he is holding. "Tch, you should keep an eye on this rude person, girl." With that the man left.

Ritsu looked at the flustered girl and smirked. "Geez, Mio-chan since when did you become a rude person?"

The bassist stood there in surprise. "Ri-Ritsu?"

The drummer pointed her thumb at her herself. "The one and only!"

"H-how? Y-you've changed a lot…"

"Really?" Ritsu asked confused.

Mio stared at Ritsu to register how the drummer looks. She noticed that the brunette discarded her yellow hair band and let her bangs fall freely on her _beautiful_ face covering her amber eyes. What surprised her most is that the girl standing before her got taller which made the bassist look up to see the face of her childhood friend. So in short, Tainaka Ritsu looked very mature and cute.

"Mio stop staring at me like that." The drummer said with a slight blush.

The bassist looked away. "Ah sorry."

"So what are you doing here? Don't tell me you missed me this much that you can't just wait for me in your house?" The taller girl smirked as she pretended to be embarrassed.

Mio raised her fist and hit her friend on the head, with a blush she looked away. "Idiot!"

"Ouch!" Ritsu whimpered as she felt a bump on her head. "Dangerous Queen-sama you haven't changed at all these past 3 years." She teased hoping that she will still get the same reaction she receives way back in High School.

"I-idiot you haven't changed either too! You're still the energetic girl who loves to tease me whenever she gets a chance." Mio missed talking to her friend this way and she's really thankful that nothing had changed.

"Well thank you." The drummer bowed before her friend.

"Mou! Stop that!" The bassist's cheeks were red as a ripe tomato feeling curious glances from the people who were passing by.

Satisfied, Ritsu stood straight and grinned at Mio again. "So, where's the lucky guy who caught the dangerous queen with his amazing heart?"

"Eh?" Mio asked confused, not really sure what Ritsu was implying. "What are you talking about?"

"You know your boyfriend."

The raven haired girl twitched when she heard the last two words, well truth to be told never in her entire life she met a prince that will sweep her off her feet, unless it's a girl who looks like a prince then yes. She just accidentally blurted or wrote that she has a boyfriend the last time that she and Ritsu wrote to each other. "Pardon me?" She tried acting clueless hoping that her friend will just forget about it.

"Your lover Mio!" The one you wrote to me about and the reason why you rejected my offer for you to visit me." The brunette's voice was quivering with every word that came out of her mouth. _"The truth hurts me, Mio." _She thought even though she knows that her love for the bassist cannot be accepted. _"It's not fair, I've known you for a long time and now a guy whom you just met somewhere can stay by your side and know more about whom you really are." _She looked away as tears began forming in her eyes.

Mio was silent; words can't come out of her mouth. How is she supposed to tell her friend the truth that she doesn't have a boyfriend at all and about the fact that she lied to her friend hurts her a lot since they promised to each other that they won't lie or keep secrets. "We should head home first since mom and dad are waiting for you. I'll explain everything about _that_ there." She walked ahead of Ritsu head lowered and holding up her tears. _"I'm sorry Ritsu, I'm very sorry…"_

The brunette was dumbfounded with her friend's action, this is the first time the bassist acted that way towards her and knowing Mio for a very long time even after three years of separation, she knows well that something is definitely wrong.

x – x – x

The ride back to the Akiyama house was accompanied by chatting of the two about HTT and its members. "So, anything new about Mugi, Yui, and Azusa?" The brunette asked her gaze moving from the window to her friend, she was curious about her friends since there was no other way of communicating with each other except letters. So, she was completely separated from her fellow band mates.

Stormy gray eyes met amber eyes, not wanting to look at Ritsu's eyes at the moment Mio's gaze went in the front. "Nothing really changed. Mugi is still herself she helped me a lot these past three years since studying at Japan's Women's University was really hard."

Ritsu twitched when she heard the college they were supposed to enter together, she did passed the entrance exam but due to her grandparents getting sick and her parents were out of the country at that time so she was forced to drop JWU and move to the countryside to nurse her grandparents back to health. She felt completely left out because she was the only one who got separated from her friends and Mio.

"And oh Yui is now working as a guitar instructor."

"Wait what?" The brunette exclaimed trying not to laugh hard about Yui's another mysterious skill.

"Yes, Azusa's helping her and they are currently living with each other."

"Oh… I see." Silence… "So, what about you Mio?" Ritsu asked in serious tone.

"About me?"

"Yes, about you and him because when you wrote the word _boyfriend_ you never mentioned about him after that."

"Didn't I told you that we will talk about it later?" The bassist tried to act normal hoping that Ritsu won't notice that she's completely not herself.

"Okay, I'll wait who knows he might be waiting in your house too." The drummer grinned as she looked in the front.

Mio's gaze slightly went to her friend surprised that the brunette can still put up a smile even at this moment; she liked that part of her best friend who always put up a smile even in times of seriousness or sadness just like when Ritsu has to move away, she left with a grin and she even joked around before going inside the train. The raven haired girl suddenly felt a weight on her left shoulder. "Tired?" She asked.

Ritsu nodded slightly. "Yes, so can I borrow your shoulder until we get to your house?"

"What's the point in asking when you're already doing it?"

Ritsu let out a laugh. "Sorry about that, I'll remember that next time." She said as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Idiot…" Mio whispered before looking out the window.

x – x – x

"Welcome home, Ricchan!" Mrs. Akiyama quickly hugged the brunette. "You have changed a lot and you got taller too, the last time I hugged you is when you were still an inch smaller than Mio."

Mr. Akiyama approached Ritsu and began patting her head. "Welcome home, Ritsu."

The drummer blushed at the welcome. "Thank you very much auntie, uncle." Mio's parents treated her like their own daughter, sometimes she wonder if Mio got her loving attitude from her parents.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like to excuse Ritsu for a while." The raven haired girl asked formally.

Mrs. Akiyama let go of Ritsu and looked at her daughter. "Sure darling, take your time talking. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you very much." Mio grabbed her friend's wrist and began pulling her.

"Ah Mio wait!" The brunette looked at her friend's parents. "See you later auntie, uncle." She managed to say before being completely pulled away by Mio.

At Mio's room the bassist sat on her bed and gestured Ritsu to sit beside her. The brunette looked around the room didn't changed even one bit, she saw Elizabeth on its guitar stand beside her friend's bed. She smiled inwardly at the realization that Mio didn't stop playing music even though she was gone. "What's up with you Mio? Did you miss me that much? If so I'm going to give you a –."

"Finish that line and I'm going to kick you out."

Ritsu grinned. "Ah scary." She sat down beside the raven haired girl and looked at her. "So, about your boyfriend…"

Sooner or later, Ritsu will ask her about it but why in the world would the drummer want to know about it badly.

"Because I'm your friend."

Mio looked at her friend who just answered her unspoken question. "What did you say?"

"I said I have to know because I'm your best friend and I am dying to know about it!" The brunette exclaimed.

Mio was surprised with her friend's statement. True, she has _all _the right to know about the bassist's secret but friends need privacy too and that's one reason why the raven haired girl is still at this point stubborn, she's not going to lose to her friend because maybe just maybe she can delay this. "Listen Ritsu, don't you think that I need some privacy too?"

Ritsu felt that Mio's words had a double meaning. "Basically, you don't trust me anymore." She said in a serious tone her eyes lost their usual energetic look.

Mio's grey eyes met Ritsu's amber eyes, she rarely see a serious Ritsu and she knows when her friend gets serious she will definitely lose all chances of delaying the topic. "It's not that…" She trailed off thinking of what to say next.

"Then what Mio?" Ritsu was getting restless but Mio could not just say it, she could not tell her the truth because she knows that her friend is not that kind of person, she may be tomboyish but her heart is still feminine. "I'm sorry!" She quickly went out of her house.

"Wait!" Ritsu followed suit because she felt that Mio will be in danger if she will not follow her friend.

The raven haired girl ran while crying. She just couldn't tell her friend the truth she was too scared of what the outcome will be, it's either the brunette will call her disgusting and break their friendship or turn her down.

"Mio wait up!" A voice called out but instead of stopping Mio ran faster seeing a road in front of her and not knowing that a car was passing by ahead.

"Mio!" Ritsu quickly grabbed her friend and locked her in a hug. "Idiot! And here you kept telling me to look before crossing!" Mio's eyes widened, this was the first time her friend called her an idiot.

"I'm sorry he hurt you didn't he? Don't do that again please since I can't imagine what I will do if I lose you now." The drummer spoke in a very low voice making the bassist shiver.

"I'm sorry Ritsu, I'm very sorry!" Mio apologized as she cried.

"Geez, what are you apologizing for? I'm the one who's supposed to say sorry not you." The brunette said with a smile.

"No it's not that! I lied, I lied that I have a boyfriend." Mio's voice was quivering with each word that she spoke she tried pulling away from the taller girl's arms.

"What?" Ritsu asked confused, she wanted to let go of her friend but she feared that if she did, she might never ever catch up with her again.

"I'm sorry Ritsu, but never will I have a boyfriend because…" Mio stopped talking when she realized when she was about to say it.

"Because? Mio, I don't have the patience for this."

"Because I love you, you idiot!" The raven haired girl exclaimed. _"Oh what am I going to do now?_ She thought as she tried looking at her friend and was quickly taken aback. _"She's smiling?"_

Ritsu lifted Mio's chin with her thumb and index finger and pressed her lips against her friend's lips. Mio's eyes widened at the sudden contact but quickly relaxed when she felt the brunette's arms wrapped around her waist and in return she wrapped her arms around the taller girl's neck. The two pulled away both blushing, Ritsu's forehead rested on Mio's. "I love you too Mio." She replied while grinning.

x - x - x

**A/N : *hides* so um Reviews please? I'll try making another Mitsu fic if I have time. ~ Haru out~ **


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